Leslie Bell Elementary

Summary:

Leslie Bell Elementary is a public elementary school located in Lexington, Missouri, serving grades PK-4 with a total enrollment of 405 students. The school is part of the Lexington R-V School District, which is ranked 362 out of 386 districts in Missouri and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Leslie Bell Elementary has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 26.4% to 31.7% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average. In comparison, nearby schools like Elkhorn Elementary (21.7%), Odessa Upper Elementary (22.7%), and Grandview Elementary (16.6%) have lower chronic absenteeism rates. Additionally, the school's proficiency rates in both Mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) are significantly lower than the state averages and the surrounding schools.

Leslie Bell Elementary has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 49.87% to 59.01% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the surrounding schools. The school's spending per student is relatively high, ranging from $9,746 to $10,213 over the past few years, comparable to the spending levels of nearby schools. However, the school's statewide ranking has steadily declined over the past several years, from 515 out of 1,052 Missouri elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 736 out of 906 in 2023-2024, suggesting that the school is struggling to keep up with the performance of other elementary schools in the state.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

400 S 20th St
Lexington, MO 64067-1899

(660) 259-4341

District: Lexington R-V

SchoolDigger Rank:
736^th of 906 Missouri Elementary Schools

Students who attend Leslie Bell Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Lexington Middle
High:	Lexington High

Student/teacher ratio: 14.5

Number of students: 405

Racial breakdown:

White:

82.2%

Two or more races:

7.4%

Hispanic:

6.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 59%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Leslie Bell Elementary ranks worse than 81.2% of elementary schools in Missouri. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.6. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Leslie Bell Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Leslie Bell Elementary 736^th of 906 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Leslie Bell Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

White students:

Lexington R-V:

SchoolDigger ranks Lexington R-V 362^nd of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Leslie Bell Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Leslie Bell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	25.42	920^th	1074	14.3%
2007	36.24	796^th	1080	26.3%
2008	45.97	648^th	1084	40.2%
2009	49.37	578^th	1053	45.1%
2010	26.31	885^th	1066	17.0%
2011	28.52	889^th	1088	18.3%
2012	35.49	816^th	1085	24.8%
2013	38.82	777^th	1108	29.9%
2014	24.47	911^th	1089	16.3%
2015	21.37	896^th	1058	15.3%
2016	17.11	751^st	865	13.2%
2017	34.49	734^th	1032	28.9%
2018	17.98	905^th	1045	13.4%
2019	51.24	515^th	1052	51.0%
2021	34.57	614^th	901	31.9%
2022	31.81	633^rd	908	30.3%
2023	28.00	683^rd	898	23.9%
2024	19.60	736^th	906	18.8%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Leslie Bell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	14.74	827^th	887	6.8%
2019	58.98	317^th	907	65.0%
2021	38.25	348^th	574	39.4%
2022	32.48	379^th	532	28.8%
2023	29.27	470^th	611	23.1%
2024	23.57	526^th	625	15.8%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for White students at Leslie Bell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	6.64	890^th	898	0.9%
2019	34.18	637^th	917	30.5%
2021	29.10	513^th	691	25.8%
2022	22.76	553^rd	675	18.1%
2023	14.09	617^th	673	8.3%
2024	8.07	648^th	668	3.0%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, July 16, 2019

I feel as though this school is very student-centered. My kids are thriving in this school. At their previous school, the teachers seemed content to just let them fall behind, where Leslie Bell has worked to help them achieve ever higher academic goals each year. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Leslie Bell Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	567	567
1992	513	43	5	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	568
1993	552	39	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	598
1994	549	39	2	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	603
1995	433	36	2	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	482
1996	433	36	2	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	482
1997	489	30	0	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	532
1998	496	30	0	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	544
1999	452	34	1	20	0	n/a	n/a	0	507
2000	420	31	1	27	0	n/a	n/a	0	479
2001	392	38	1	29	1	n/a	n/a	0	461
2002	406	32	4	44	2	n/a	n/a	0	488
2003	406	32	4	44	2	n/a	n/a	0	488
2004	388	22	2	66	2	n/a	n/a	0	480
2005	375	27	2	27	1	n/a	n/a	0	432
2006	367	41	3	28	0	n/a	n/a	0	439
2007	377	35	5	27	0	n/a	n/a	0	444
2008	389	41	5	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	456
2009	359	41	8	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	427
2010	362	42	5	20	3	n/a	n/a	0	432
2011	356	42	5	26	3	0	1	0	433
2012	355	37	4	23	3	0	3	0	425
2013	347	47	4	28	2	0	3	0	431
2014	357	38	4	29	2	0	5	0	435
2015	363	33	4	36	2	0	8	0	446
2016	360	34	1	38	2	0	12	0	447
2017	359	29	0	43	3	0	14	0	448
2018	363	26	2	36	2	1	15	0	445
2019	325	19	2	37	2	0	21	0	406
2020	318	21	3	38	0	0	23	0	403
2021	296	19	4	35	1	1	21	0	377
2022	315	12	3	26	0	0	29	0	385
2023	333	11	4	27	0	0	30	0	405

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Leslie Bell Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	567	31.0	18.2	n/a
1992	568	31.1	18.2	n/a
1993	598	32.3	18.5	n/a
1994	603	36.4	16.6	0
1995	482	31.8	15.2	n/a
1996	482	31.8	15.2	n/a
1997	532	32.4	16.4	38
1998	544	31.3	17.4	32.2
1999	507	31.8	15.9	45.8
2000	479	33.6	14.3	41.5
2001	461	32.2	14.3	46.9
2002	488	31.9	15.3	40.2
2003	488	31.9	15.3	40.2
2004	480	31.9	15.0	37.9
2005	432	30.8	14.0	42.6
2006	439	33.8	13.0	44.4
2007	444	32.7	13.6	44.6
2008	456	34.2	13.3	39.7
2009	427	31.5	13.6	41.2
2010	432	30.9	13.9	44.7
2011	433	31.8	13.6	49.9
2012	425	29.6	14.3	49.9
2013	431	26.1	16.4	48.3
2014	435	30.0	14.4	n/a
2015	446	31.0	14.3	63.2
2016	447	32.0	13.9	64.2
2017	448	30.5	14.6	61.2
2018	445	28.0	15.8	61.1
2019	406	27.3	14.8	60.1
2020	403	29.2	13.7	57.1
2021	377	29.5	12.7	55.7
2022	385	31.2	12.3	49.9
2023	405	27.8	14.5	59

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Leslie Bell Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	567	31.0	18.2	n/a
1992	568	31.1	18.2	n/a
1993	598	32.3	18.5	n/a
1994	603	36.4	16.6	0
1995	482	31.8	15.2	n/a
1996	482	31.8	15.2	n/a
1997	532	32.4	16.4	38
1998	544	31.3	17.4	32.2
1999	507	31.8	15.9	45.8
2000	479	33.6	14.3	41.5
2001	461	32.2	14.3	46.9
2002	488	31.9	15.3	40.2
2003	488	31.9	15.3	40.2
2004	480	31.9	15.0	37.9
2005	432	30.8	14.0	42.6
2006	439	33.8	13.0	44.4
2007	444	32.7	13.6	44.6
2008	456	34.2	13.3	39.7
2009	427	31.5	13.6	41.2
2010	432	30.9	13.9	44.7
2011	433	31.8	13.6	49.9
2012	425	29.6	14.3	49.9
2013	431	26.1	16.4	48.3
2014	435	30.0	14.4	n/a
2015	446	31.0	14.3	63.2
2016	447	32.0	13.9	64.2
2017	448	30.5	14.6	61.2
2018	445	28.0	15.8	61.1
2019	406	27.3	14.8	60.1
2020	403	29.2	13.7	57.1
2021	377	29.5	12.7	55.7
2022	385	31.2	12.3	49.9
2023	405	27.8	14.5	59

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Leslie Bell Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$554 (5.4%)	$9,659 (94.6%)	$10,212
2020	$582 (6.0%)	$9,163 (94.0%)	$9,746
2021	$914 (9.0%)	$9,268 (91.0%)	$10,182

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Leslie Bell Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 515^th of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 683^rd of 898 Elementary schools	27.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Leslie Bell Elementary)	52.9	29	23.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Lexington R-V)	52.9	29	23.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46	41.1	4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Leslie Bell Elementary)	40	32.3	7.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Lexington R-V)	40	32.3	7.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	42.4	6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Leslie Bell Elementary)	42	30.5	11.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Lexington R-V)	42	30.5	11.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46.8	43.8	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Leslie Bell Elementary)	56.5	27.8	28.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Lexington R-V)	56.5	27.8	28.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	49.3	45.9	3.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	406	405	0.2%
African American	19	11	42.1%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	2	4	100%
Hispanic	37	27	27%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	325	333	2.5%
Two or More Races	21	30	42.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	60.1%	59%	1.1%

Schools Near Leslie Bell Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAP Mathematics (2024)				MAP Science (2024)	MAP English Language Arts (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Leslie Bell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	400 S 20th St	Lexington	64067	Lafayette County	Lexington R-V	No	No	No	Yes	(660) 259-4341	405	28	14.5	59.0%	333 (82.2%)	11 (2.7%)	27 (6.7%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.4%)	19.6	736^th of 906 public elementary schools	18.8%		28	683^rd of 898 public elementary schools	23.9%	53	12.4	25.6				28.7	30.4
Hardin-Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	500 NE 1st St	Hardin	64035	Ray County	Hardin-Central C-2	No	No	No	Yes	(660) 398-4394	125	9	13.1	49.6%	125 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)									$12,954	$85	$12,869
Wellington-Napoleon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	800 Hwy 131	Wellington	64097	Lafayette County	Wellington-Napoleon R-Ix	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 240-2631	174	16	11.2	30.5%	163 (93.7%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)								(n/a)		56.6							$12,149	$1,841	$10,308
Sunrise Elementary	Public	2-5	401 Matt Waller Dr	Richmond	64085	Ray County	Richmond R-XVI	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 776-3059	447	39	11.3	53.0%	394 (88.1%)	3 (0.7%)	9 (2.0%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (8.1%)	25.4	693^rd of 906 public elementary schools	23.5%		35.2	609^th of 898 public elementary schools	32.2%	84	25.3	23.2	19.3		26.8	29.7	33.6	32.6	$10,678	$985	$9,694
Dear Elementary	Public	PK, KG-1	701 E Main	Richmond	64085	Ray County	Richmond R-XVI	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 776-5401	299	28	10.5	55.2%	273 (91.3%)	3 (1.0%)	4 (1.3%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.0%)								(n/a)									$12,619	$1,306	$11,314
Grandview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	705 W 31st	Higginsville	64037	Lafayette County	Lafayette County C-1	No	No	No	Yes	(660) 584-7127	457	34	13.3	48.6%	387 (84.7%)	15 (3.3%)	16 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (8.3%)	28.9	665^th of 906 public elementary schools	26.6%		23.7	711^th of 898 public elementary schools	20.8%	46	10.1	27.4	30.1		36.8	18.7		38.1	$11,617	$2,236	$9,381
Norborne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	210 E Fifth	Norborne	64668	Carroll County	Norborne R-VIII	No	No	No	Yes	(660) 593-3616	88	10	8.4	47.7%	87 (98.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)								(n/a)									$18,987	$932	$18,055
McQuerry Elementary	Public	K-2	607 S Third St	Odessa	64076	Lafayette County	Odessa R-Vii	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 633-5334	461	35	13.0	38.6%	406 (88.1%)	5 (1.1%)	19 (4.1%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.2%)								(n/a)									$10,591	$1,292	$9,299
Orrick Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	100 Kirkham	Orrick	64077	Ray County	Orrick R-Xi	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 770-3922	170	13	13.1	51.8%	156 (91.8%)	1 (0.6%)	9 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.4%)	17.6	752^nd of 906 public elementary schools	17.0%		18.8	743^rd of 898 public elementary schools	17.3%	9	26.4		20.0	11.2					$12,940	$2,061	$10,879
Odessa Upper Elementary	Public	3-5	1100 West Cox School Road	Odessa	64076	Lafayette County	Odessa R-Vii	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 633-5396	422	34	12.5	31.8%	374 (88.6%)	2 (0.5%)	17 (4.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (5.9%)	42.6	534^th of 906 public elementary schools	41.1%		54.1	405^th of 898 public elementary schools	54.9%	129	34.5	40.6	32.6		38.1	36.4	36.4	36.7	$9,700	$640	$9,060

Frequently Asked Questions about Leslie Bell Elementary

What schools do graduates of Leslie Bell Elementary attend?

Students who attend Leslie Bell Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lexington Middle
High : Lexington High

What is the racial makeup of Leslie Bell Elementary?

Students at Leslie Bell Elementary are 82% White, 7% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 3% African American.

What district is Leslie Bell Elementary in?

Lexington R-V

How many students attend Leslie Bell Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 405 students attended Leslie Bell Elementary.

Is Leslie Bell Elementary a good school?

Leslie Bell Elementary ranks in the bottom 18.8% of Missouri elementary schools.

Rate Leslie Bell Elementary!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.